Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-01-20

has tho exclusive power to coin money and
regulate the value thereof, but in the
proper exercise OF this power the people OF
The several states have the deepest interest,
and their public servants should, on all
proper occasions give expression to their
views upon this important subject, The
states before the adoption OF the Federal
constitution, being sovereign Independent
political powers, possessed the power as
inctdent to their sovereignty, to coin money
and regulate Its val1es They surrendered
this power to the Federal government when
they became parties to the Federal consti-
tuition. In all ages aud among ell civilized
people, gold and silver have been legal
tenders 10 payIIn ent o. public s saa ma,
the 10th section OF Article l OF the constitu-
tlon OF the United States from making any,
thilg but gold and silver coin tender In
payment OF debts,
Nothing but coins of these metals are In
this State q legal tender for such purposes.
The power to coin money being surrendered
to the general government by the stares,
ami such coins being necessary for the pur.
pose mentioned necessarily implied obli-
gation rests upon that government TO FUR
nish by the mt ans DESIGNATED, aud for tile
purposes 80 required the necessary coin OF
those,metals, and " IL as obligatory upon II
to furnish silver cuin No gold coin. The
Federal government has nothing to do with
the creation of legal tenders. It may say
what debts due to itself shall be paid, but
the power is nowhere delegated to 1t by the
states or the people to create legal tenders
for the several states or their people.
Tender In coin existed In the states before
the adoption OF the Federal constitution;
this was not changed by its adoption: Il
was recognized as an existing fact. 1t is
not the amount Of either gold or silver
coined into money that gives to II Its value
us money, It is the stamp of the govern
mont creating and regulating Its relative
value that causes such value to be recog-
nized In all business transactions. These
coins are not to be judged by their value rs
bullion, but by their value as coin, as
money, as legal money. Hence the cry OF
thedepreoiated value Of silver coin Is sense
less and unmeaning, except for the purpose
Of depreciating It, and preventing Its COIN
age into money by those who have or sup
pose they have some personal interest In
depreciating It's value. The United States
produces more gold and silver than any
nation on earth, and yet with this adyant-
age the Congress of the United States has
discrimInated against coinage OF silver Into
money.
1t ia true that this Injustice and wrong has
become 90 manifest from popular denuncia-
tlon thereof, that the decentralization OF sill
yer has been removed, and Its coinage into
legal money allowed to q much greater ex-
| tent than at one time existed. But not
withstandiDg these partial surrenders to q
popular demand Of the people, the clrcula-
1 tiop Of silver coin among the people, as far
as possible, has been retarded and rendered
less effectual than II should be by the un.
| wise policy In this respect pursued by the
| Federal government, In conjunction with,
| or at least to the advantage OF those who
have a peculiar interest In the accomplish
| ment OF these purposes. Hence, the silver
i coin OF the country, instead OF being paid
out to the employees of the government and
i In discharge of Its public Indebtedness, ID
boarded In the treasury vaults, In such
quantities and to such an amount, that
the cry now Is that such vaults are Insult
ficient for Its storage and the building OF
new vaults said TO be necessary for its safe
keeping, under the pretence that the people
will not take the silver dollars. Let those
| vaults be opened and their contents put into
immediate circulation, and the people will
soon show whether the allegation is true or
false. l have never yet seen the man who
was afraid of, or who did not desire the
possession OF a silver dollar.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
| have already said that believe the true
principle on which u Demoeraticre
tive government should be conducted Is ro-
tation In office. believe IN reforming the
civil service, but not In what Is popularity
known as civil service reform. | would
appoint none but honest and well qualified
men 10 Puniie once, put sucn men shouiu
% IN sympathy win the administration In
its honest efforts TO correct public abuses,
An administration called by the people TO
the performance OF such duties, should not
permit itself to he clrcumvented or embar-
raised ny appointing 10 Office those who
from parry am llation might be Interested or
inclined 10 Drlng sueh an administration
into disreputo. 1t should administer the
government through agents In political
sympathy with ITSELF. II such AGENTS be
wisely selected In respect TO qualifications
there can be no Just cause oil complaint that
tneir political views and associations are In
harmony with the administration OF which
they are part.
MY opinion Is that while both the great
political parties OF the country sought by
the insertions into their platforms OF words
| favorable TO CIVIL service reform for the pur-
pose Of obtaining some supposed additional
support, both by this time have had full
opportunity 10 discover the uselessness oil
the profession and the dfmunltiye character
OF the advantages sought. Honesty In this
as In all other dotnRs, is the best policy.
But, gentlemen, Notwithstanding we may
l tAiLlE Wp NhiA ii5IOfOl iiuBCllbtlllllS III Jul
Federal and State systems OF government
and notwithstanding, In our exuberance O
polical freedom and the unrestrained enjoy
/ meat 81 political liberty We have the con
sAtltt7nal right to tensnro he adminlnis
trntiop u government and suggest improve
ments III IT'S measures and policy, 1t may b
, truly said. that never was there people s.
and wise administrat,on Of nnbIic afIairs
,7 On tne ittn gay OF sep,emLDer' 4. D
states formed a constitution ~ ~ove W5 , an
for the neopIe of the limited states AMI AZ
clared that the ratification thereof by In
conventions of nine states should be sui
tlclent for the establishment OF that cousti
tuition between the states so ratiiying tn
same. III, on .no IN nay OF Decslhper loilow
III 10 % ..snr e ma Nv hobeif ~ e"pl1
and of their Constituents fnlIv frea,y sn,
, entirely approved of, assenled TO. ratifie
, and confirmed the said constitutions Della
ware was the first State to adopt the Fedora
! constitution; she mas never violated 1t an
: sne VIII DC Tue iast 70 a .; II.
70 ~ 90 y. 90 -. S ',a,,s LEX "a
Esdersl irnjon will ceIabrato ~ tha ~ ~
! Of philadeiphia. the lO0th anniversarv
the formation O.; the Federal constitution
1t is proper that Delaware should be repre-
scented on this occasion. l recommend thl
Q me uensral Assembly take such action
y aespeCe iieleto as 'ley Shuh eonslaer mos
"p ailow me pentlemen NJ ,ba canaro1 A,
7 sembly. to EXPRESS the hone That We ma az
ali so act in the discharge Of our respectiy
Z official duties, us to merit and receive th
1 approval OF our fellow citizens.
y ruy rSAUcrn.t, p.,I
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